[Adv] Criswelvania Chronicles v8.0 WiP

[15.05.30] The Criswelvania project is well into it’s fourth year and we’ve expanded our development team to include Spookyhappyfun working alongside Criswell. We’re gearing up for a new release utilizing the current Minecraft version 1.8! Criswelvania Book II is still in development, but we’ve got plenty of new features to share. Stay tuned!

Criswelvania is an homage to Konami's Castlevania series of games. Fans of the original NES game will note that every level and even the overall progression of the first Castlevania has been in some way interpreted in this map, and many elements from Simon's Quest, Dracula’s Curse, Super Castlevania IV for SNES, and Symphony of the Night make appearances as well.

Criswelvania is a vanilla Minecraft map that features deadly challenges, tense battles with new and unique mobs, mechanical puzzles and hidden magical treasures to find, all spread throughout a truly epic adventure. Discover legendary weapons, powerful potions and animal companions to aid you on your journey! Criswelvania now features greatly expanded Nether content, new challenge dungeons, NPCs, revamped economy, rebalanced better multiplayer support and a slew of new redstone and piston traps and mechanisms.

If you haven’t visited in a while, maybe it's time to Return to Criswelvania!

Quickstart Guide

It's sunset on the edge of a dark forest. You need to find weapons and items to survive. Open the first chest you see, and equip the sword. You can use the snowballs too to keep monsters at bay until you can find something better. The other materials might come in handy as well.

Follow the path East, then South until you come to a lake and Zweilliger Farm. You can take refuge overnight in the farm if you wish; you may find some more items to aid you. When you are prepared, continue down the road and you will come to a passage over a cliff leading to the first village of Gillis. You should be able to see the Castle in the distance. If you search the houses in Gillis you will find your first quest.

Adventure Goals

Ascend the dark halls and towers of Criswelvania and cleanse it of the evil that awaits you within. Visit the nearby towns surrounding the Castle to buy supplies and get hints to guide you to the rarest and most powerful equipment.
There are 24 treasure items to locate across the land -- find as many as you can, and journey into the portal under the Palace of Darkness to the Nether Castle. If you can return through Gatehouse at the end of this final challenge, and escape from the Caves of Confusion to the starting point on the surface, your name will become legend! If you fail, yours may end up as rather more of a... cautionary tale.

”For the best experience while playing through Criswelvania,
the following guidelines are suggested”

General Gameplay

Criswelvania is a tense action-adventure with roleplaying, platforming and puzzle-solving elements. Exploration is rewarded. The guidelines suggested are mainly to increase immersiveness, simulate NPC interaction, provide a challenge and sense of accomplishment, and an intuitive progression to prevent players from getting lost.

Difficulty must be set to at least Easy; Normal or above is recommended. Switching to Peaceful effectively forfeits the game if playing for score.

A Fog setting of "Normal" instead of Far is also recommended (light fog, can still see sun/moon). Try more fog (Near or Tiny) for a greater challenge and a more tense atmosphere, but only once you're familiar with the map, as high/max fog can be disorienting in some areas.

Real Vampire Killers will only venture outdoors or leave towns after sunset. There are some encounters that only occur at night.

You may get items from dispensers by activating them, but you may not loot the dispensers directly.

Limit yourself to carrying only one stack of any particular item, such as torches or arrows.

You can stash extra loot for later in the chests you find. Accidents happen...

Some TNT is scattered around in some chests, it's up to you how or if you want to use it. It's also worth bonus points at the end of the game (see Scoring).

Hardcore Mode: In the event of death you must delete, and restart the map only from the original save. If you beat the game in this way you earn a large bonus to your Final Score.

Hardcore Multiplayer: Killed players return as hostiles that hunt the surviving players. Map is lost when all players have died once. (Optional. see Advanced Multiplayer)

To set the right mood, we highly recommend the outstanding Castlevania Symphony of the Night soundtrack as background music.

Looting & Treasure
You may generally take any items you find, as needed. There are several items you may find which have no specific use in the game, and your inventory will fill up quickly if you take items not related to combat, defense, and survival. There are also some valuable items which can be traded in towns for supplies (see Currency), and other treasures which can be returned to the chest at the spawn point for a higher Final Score (see Scoring).

Shops & Currency
The treasure items you find in chests throughout your journey support the local economy in Criswelvania. Selling or trading with local vendors will help you to acquire items to help you along your quest. Some vendors may even purchase any books or paintings you find along the way

Breaking & Placing Blocks
There are a few breakable blocks: any clay is breakable, as are suspiciously-placed single or paired blocks of half-steps or brick, or out-of-place patches of sand or gravel. There is usually a hint nearby, such as a pick or shovel in a chest. You may break monster spawners, or disable them with torches (unless playing Hardcore).
You may also mine out exposed minerals, and smelt any ores found to use as you see fit.

It is permissible to place dirt, stone, wood and other blocks to repair damaged floors or walls with the same kind of material. You may also build emergency barricades, and you may build bridges in situations such as crossing lava or chasms if it suits your style, but you may not build steps or towers to climb over fences, walls or other obstacles.

Crafting
You may not craft items until after you find the recipes or schematics for that item (or the item itself in early versions of the map). So, even if you find 2 bars of iron, you may not craft an iron sword until you find the schematics for an iron sword. Likewise for armor, diamond gear, potions, and other things. It is possible to find or buy everything you need and never have to craft anything, but you will have to search! You will need at least some of the iron you find to buy things with anyway. Additional items may be crafted for extra players as well.

You can keep track of all of your recipes and schematics by writing them down in your Guidebook.

Adventuring Tips

If you die in Criswelvania, you will spawn at your starting location outside the forest. You may want to leave some items stashed behind you in case you need to craft or purchase replacements for any lost gear.

There are a few usable beds around, you may use these to advance your spawn position.

There is a marked path to every important location, and clear boundaries to the distinct regions in the map. Try to stay within these boundaries to avoid getting lost or breaking the game. Anywhere you see pavestones or stairs is fair game for exploration. If you get out of sight of civilization, you are getting yourself lost.

Try not to break obstacles to get around them. The puzzle elements of Criswelvania are not overly complex for the uninitiated, nothing is too fiendishly buried or requires esoteric knowledge of weird Minecraft techniques. Players need not randomly rip apart the environment to find arbitrary loot. There are occasionally multiple paths to get to or from some locations, so if you get stuck, backtrack and keep searching.

“If you choose to roleplay the adventure in this way,
it will greatly increase the depth and enjoyment of your game”

Helpful Hints
Keep an eye out for buttons which open doors from the outside.
Many metal doors can be permanently opened from the inside by a lever.
Wooden plates activate when an item is dropped upon them. A fishing rod sinker also works!
Spare ladders may come in handy.
Stash excess loot in safehouse locations and always enter unexplored areas prepared!
There's always a way out.

Endgame

Chapter 6: Throne of Darkness begins after you ascend the Clock Tower before you enter Bathory Castle. You may still return to previously visited locations to recover overlooked items. After you clear the Palace of Darkness, you are free to locate the Treasury and the Portal Room.

There are also several challenge areas to explore once you are sufficiently equipped. First of these encountered would be Deadman's Cave, just outside of Gillis, where a great amount of pirate treasure lies tucked away. There are other mysterious areas scattered around containing treasure as well.

When you are prepared and carrying as much treasure as you can, enter the portal. To complete the game, simply return from the Nether through the next portal you find, to the Caves of Confusion. Escape to the surface and you will be back at the starting point, now determine your Final Score!

Scoring
Locate the following items and return through the Nether Castle with them to the starting chest for a higher Final Score:

”Take a screenshot of recovered Treasure in the starting chest,
and post it in the thread to enter the Hall of Fame rankings!”

Further Exploration

Once you beat the map, you are free to use the world as your own. If you decide to use the castle as a base, there are 3 other large and mostly unexplored caves in the area, full of minerals and danger.

The extensive Nether portal system will take you to dozens of areas to explore spanning 2 large continents, an enormous world with hundreds of things to discover. The Nether itself has 32 secret chests tucked away -- how many can you find? In the non-Lite versions, see if you can find the Western Ziggurat, Embersted, or the Sacred Caves. Take an 8-minute train tour of the main continent! Try to sail back to Criswelvania on the Minerva Cup Regatta route.

Looking to immerse yourself in the experience even more? Maybe consider contributing to the world! Read more over at The Minerva Project.

Criswelvania now has full support for Multiplayer, and to enhance the adventure, several player character roles involved in the story are provided here. These suggested roles are designed to suit players with various playstyles and levels of experience, and should be balanced in such a way that each player has a clear function in the group. Up to 5 players are recommended.

Usage is completely optional. These characters are intended as base skill classes for players who want to roleplay. You may rename, alter or rebalance these attributes to best suit your party.

Playable Characters

Player 1 always plays the main character:

Grimfarrow
Veteran Ranger, Party leader. Good all-around fighter.Playable by Player 1 only

Six months have passed since Grimfarrow accepted a quest from his home village: to lead an expedition beyond the Riftlands to find the cause of the accursed frost which has bitten the once-prosperous Minoan lands to the South. This quest ended badly, but with his duty yet unfulfilled, Grimfarrow cannot return home and betray the expectations of the village's hopeful children. He will finish his ordained task, and death before its completion is not an option.

Character Sheet

Traits & Abilities

Can use all swords and wooden bow.
Can use all armor types.
Can hunt animals and tame wolves.
Can use fishing rod, torches, and most other special items unless another party member takes that role.
Can place and break permitted blocks unless Hjarnfal is a party member, taking that role.

Roleplaying Cues for Grimfarrow
Grimfarrow is generally competent in all major aspects of combat, exploration and healing. As the most versatile character, he is a battle-hardened badass, capable of completing all objectives by himself, but understands how to utilize the abilities of others to the greatest advantage. He is able to switch between close and ranged combat as the situation dictates. If his main support is played by Jyudi, who specializes in ranged combat, then Grimfarrow takes a more direct approach with melee combat. If player two is Vandrake, who takes enemies head-on with sword in hand, then Grimfarrow should provide cover with the bow when possible.

As the group leader, he should get party members to perform their special duties and try to herd everyone safely to the next goal. He will not leave behind members unless they have left the group on their own or challenged his leadership. He shares equipment as best he can afford.

Jyudi is a ruthless bounty hunter of extraordinary skill with a reputation for always claiming her prize. A family of trained assassins, mere mention of the Darbadou Clan is enough to hush crowded taverns. Casting fear like a shadow, cautious looks follow her everywhere she travels.

Jyudi's talents are so exceptional that she has become bored of hunting down ordinary targets, and will only take jobs that offer tremendous risk and impossible odds -- for an astronomical price that only a genius could demand and the truly wealthy could afford.

Character Sheet

Traits & Abilities

Uses bow as primary weapon, can use up to Iron Swords.
Can only use Leather Armor.
Can use fishing rod, hunt animals, tame wolves.
Can break spawners.
Carries most valuable treasures*.
Cannot use tools, nor place torches or blocks.
Hates sweets (no cookies or cake!).
* If Zederakh is in group, he will carry any documents. Some Iron should be divided among all party member to buy supplies, but Jyudi will act as party treasurer and will be stingy unless another player is truly in need.

Roleplaying Cues for Jyudi
Jyudi is independent to a fault, not used to taking orders or looking after companions. While she is willing to shed burdens without sympathy, she won't abandon any party member useful to her mission. Unless you hurt a wolf, then she will punish you severely.

Retreating from overwhelming odds holds no shame for Jyudi, but she will deal as much damage on the way out as possible. An expert archer, she does try to make every arrow count, rather than spamming them wastefully.

She also tends to hoard wealth such as gold or other treasures, but to what end? She seems to get embarrassed and angry quickly if you ask her, but rumor is she has a pet adoption organization in Minoa. All her pets come trained as ninja!

Vandrake of Regnos
Paladin, a devout warrior priest from the Holy City of Regnos. Melee combat expert.Playable by P2 only

Raised from a young age in the strict austerity of the monastery cloisters, Vandrake has undergone intense mental and physical training, harsh ordeals to purge his body of weakness and his thoughts of any trace of wickedness. He has dedicated his life to the service of the Church and taken a vow of poverty, that he should not be burdened with worldly distractions.

The presence of any evil in the Blessed Lands is an affront to the glory of the Church, and of late even the common peasants have sensed that a great evil has swelled up from the lands beyond the Rift like a coming tide.

Character Sheet

Traits & Abilities

Uses any sword, no bows.
Can wear any armor.
Can hunt animals.
Has no compunction about beating three zombies down with a brick.
Can use water in bucket but not lava.
Can place torches to light areas and disable spawners.
Can place permitted blocks.
Cannot break blocks, nor carry treasure.
"No magic or witchcraft" - No fire, lava, TNT, Compass, Fishing Rods or any kind of redstone item. Cannot tame wolves. Will not use "potions", or mushroom stew.
On principle, Vandrake will not join forces with mercenaries, therefore only Vandrake OR Jyudi may join the party at the same time and only as Player 2.
*Upon death, Player 2 may switch between Vandrake or Jyudi when respawning. Player 1 should adjust strategy accordingly.

The name Hjarnfal Helsdelvar was once well-known in metropolitan circles, from the downtown jewelry districts to the marketplace toy shops. His tiny trademark double-H rune, discretely imprinted inside the bands of rings or on the bottom of a Creep-in-the-Box, was a mark of genuine quality both highly sought-after and often imitated -- eventually, forgeries of his work became so common such that he threw his tools into the furnace in a rage, and cried, "it is clear the world has no need for Hjarnfal Helsdelvar any longer!"

Abandoning his workshop, he declared he'd not return until he could create works beyond the skill of forgers to reproduce. He then disappeared into the depths of the mountain caves and has not been heard from since.

Character Sheet

Traits & Abilities

Can use up to Stone Sword but prefers quality Axes for combat.
Can use all tools and any armor.
Can hunt, fish and tame wolves.
If Hjarnfal is in the party, he will be the only one able to:

Use tools (pickaxe, shovel, etc.) except as noted per player.

Craft any discovered tools, weapons or basic gear.*

Break or place permitted blocks

Mine raw ores

Smelt ores (Zederakh shares this ability).

Place levers, plates or buttons (cheap around puzzles, but you must first find these items to use them).

*If Zederakh is in party, only he will be able to craft TNT, Glowstone, redstone items, or place red torches.
If Zederakh is not in the party, Hjarnfal can also place torches and TNT.
Hjarnfal cannot resist mining exposed ores regardless of risk. If he spots the glint of ore, he will not pass it by.

Zederakh
Alchemist, Thaumaturge. Redstone researcher.Playable by P3 or P4 only

Zederakh is the brilliant protege of the world's most famous sorcerer, Kantor Kulkan. He was very close to obtaining his master's most difficult and secret techniques. Being favored by the great mage as his successor, Master Kulkan decided to teach Zederakh a useful but risky summoning ritual. But something went terribly wrong, when at that moment...

Did the Cataclysm cause the spell to fail, or did the spell failure cause the Cataclysm? Although any advanced magic involves some risk, Zederakh knew the scale of power unleashed during that catastrophic event was beyond the scope of a summoning tutorial. Deeply-versed in the most ancient lore, he holds a suspicion about the true nature of the forces behind the world-wide shattering of the lands, one which will require further investigation to confirm.

Character Sheet

Traits & Abilities

Can use bows and other ranged weapons (eggs, snowballs, ...?).
Can use Fire as an attack and can craft Flint & Steel item from start. Try not to burn the server down.
Can use blunt objects only in melee (sticks, other items).
Can use Leather Armor only.
Researcher: holds all papers, books and maps.
Cannot use swords.
Will not hunt, fish, tame wolves, or eat meat.
If Zederakh is in the party, he will be the only one able to:

Use Lava buckets, Fire or TNT.

Craft TNT, Glowstone and redstone items.

Place redstone or redstone items such as red torches.

Zederakh has a special endgame role that will be revealed in the final chapter.

Zederakh and Hjarnfal both can smelt ores for the party.

Additionally, in games of two or more players (up to 5), one player, except P1 as Grimfarrow, can alternatively play as one of the following characters as a foil to the expedition:

The Rachen
The Mouth of Darkness, Hero-stalker.Playable by any except P1

The Rachen is a shadowy human figure with glowing blue-green eyes, who pursues and hunts the other players as a cunning adversary. Rumored an agent of the mysterious Cult of the Dragon, he has exchanged humanity for the dark gifts of Quench, the Eternal Devourer. He will lay traps and ambush the other players, striking from the darkness. He can be defeated, but never destroyed. His true purpose has yet to be uncovered.

Character Sheet

Traits & Abilities

Can use all weapons, armor and equipment in use by the main party. Can craft anything seen in use.
Does not use money or loot treasures (leave these for the other players), but will take combat gear, food, and materials usable for crafting as needed.
Can build new traps for players. But try not to destroy the evil castle you serve!
Can tame wolves. Evil wolf pack is good!
Can steal player drops after a kill.
"Light disgusts me!" - Will not place torches, can remove them, however!
Retreats to shade during daytime.

Roleplaying Cues for the Rachen
At the outset of the game, the player taking the role of the Rachen should pass under the gated room in the 4th Wall Lodge to his lair near the Caves of Confusion to equip and set spawn, then proceed to unleash your campaign of terror upon them. You can take them on directly, or set up a defense with extra traps and other obstacles. Mess with their heads -- feel free to get creative! Ideally you should choose a skin with muted tones suited to stealth tactics for this role. You should not attack players from open outdoor spaces in broad daylight, but instead use buildings and trees for cover.

For the sake of gameplay, you may occasionally need to cooperate with the party if use of beds is desired to advance spawn points. You should take such opportunities to set your spawn point somewhere separate ahead of the main group location.

Gaxtroyd was driven out of his home village because he does nothing but blunder about eating everything in sight, and leaves a path of incidental destruction behind him due to his appalling carelessness. Sending Gaxtroyd on a quest to recover an item is the surest way to have it destroyed. Finer things such as art and literature are of little interest to him except as bludgeoning instruments.

The last party he joined finally got rid of him by telling him about a "legendary mountain" made of pork far beyond the Riftlands. He is still convinced that Pork Mountain exists.

Character Sheet

Traits & Abilities

Can use all swords and axes.
Can use any armor.
Can and will hunt any animal he sees.
Cannot tame a dead animal.
Cannot use tools except as weapons.
Cannot use fishing rod or bow. Will break fishing rods wastefully.
Cannot craft, or place torches or blocks.
Cannot use buttons or levers (doesn't understand 'em).
Disregards all treasures (can't eat 'em).
Cannot cook -- eats meat raw. Wastes food. Cake maniac.
Hoards useful crafting items.
"What door?" - Can break through any door.

Roleplaying Cues for Gaxtroyd
Well-meaning but hopelessly oblivious, Gaxtroyd is technically a party member but he will come and go, often leaving the group when his help would be most appreciated to chase an unfortunate animal, and showing up at the worst times, such as after the battle, with a pack of creepers tagging along behind. "Hay guys!"
Gaxtroyd also likes to scout ahead and unwittingly activate spawners for the party soon to deal with, then return with nothing to report.

It is not uncommon for Gaxtroyd to trigger traps while his companions are inside them. But if you inflict damage or kill Gaxtroyd, by accident or intention, he will return the same upon you as many times over as he can count up to, which is approximately one or so. Sometimes he forgets which finger that is and has to start over.

Since he doesn't understand the concept of money, he usually just takes what he needs, mostly food which he will greedily consume raw. Fortunately he doesn't have an eye for treasure -- except for shinier swords and armor, he takes random items of limited value. Leather, coal, flint, wood and things generally useful for making weapons and armor, Gaxtroyd will collect and not share with others when needed for crafting. Remember, he can't craft anything himself, either. He just thinks these items look neat and likes to take them out to hold, gazing at them obsessively while on night watch.

Gaxtroyd always has to have the best sword or armor. Will pester, pout and pummel other players if he sees them with gold, diamond or iron gear better than his current equipment. He will then use that gear to chase a pig over a cliff, damaging or losing it all. He believes gold to be the greatest anything, so a gold sword or armor piece should keep him happy for awhile.

GM Note: Played right by an expert griefer with an agreeable group, Gaxtroyd can be a lot of fun in a less-serious game, but is not recommended for a first-time experience. Use the Rachen in this case.

Character Assignment
Player numbering in Minecraft doesn't really matter, but it is generally presumed that the server host, acting as party leader, would be Player 1 (P1) and other players' rank would be in order of battle experience or preference for action, as P1 and P2 have combat roles putting these players foremost in the fray. Players 3 and 4 as party members typically provide support but also have more complex roles to play and so these slots should be assigned to players with a preference for mage, healer or engineer types of characters.

A fifth player may join as a foil to the party, as one of the two negative characters. Gaxtroyd is more of a burden while the Rachen is actively opposing and attempting to thwart the other players. Actually any player besides P1 can use these characters, but they are recommended for larger groups to balance out the gameplay in numeric favor of the protagonists. These negative characters should be mutually exclusive, never both in the game at once.

These are merely suggestions though, as the slots of P1 onwards are arbitrary and can be assigned however the group agrees upon. An antagonist player, especially as the Rachen, should be fairly familiar with the map and able to predict and track player progress, and utilize opportunities ahead of time to enhance the impact of their character. For this reason, the server host may wish to defer the P1 position to another player in order to fill this experienced role.

Also, you are free to substitute character names for your own during play, as long as everyone remembers what they are supposed to be!

Hardcore Multiplayer Option: Killed players return as hostile Rachens that hunt the surviving players. Map is lost when all players have died once.

Mods & Resource Packs

This map was designed using Default textures, and they are recommend for maximum clarity and fidelity to the intended appearance. However, if you want to spice up the look of the map, there are some appropriate textures and resource packs available that very much compliment the atmosphere of Criswelvania.

Likewise, while Criswelvania is a vanilla map that requires no mods and was not intended for use with mods, there are some that can enhance your gameplay and bring a new and different experience to the adventure.

Be aware, any 3rd-party textures or mods may change the way the game plays in unexpected ways, and may need to be maintained separately to remain compatible with future Minecraft updates, so we can in no way guarantee their performance.

Updated! Craftsylvania Texture Pack started by Morhlis, later maintained by Tibyon, this 16px pack is styled after the original 8-bit NES Castlevania games. Very cool, there's a lot to like about this pack, but for many player the textures make the game too unfamiliar and signs hard to read. Unfortunately it has not been updated since Minecraft Beta 1.7 and now appears to be abandoned. Use at your discretion.

The Endermen Nerf mod prevents Endermen from picking up blocks and moving them around like a bunch of jerks. There’s also a version that prevents them from being damaged by sunlight or water if you like seeing Endermen everywhere all the time. Updated for Minecraft version 1.7.10.

The Careful Creepers mod prevents Creepers from destroying critical blocks. This is an older mod, though, which is fine for older versions of Criswelvania. If Creepers blowing stuff up is a problem for you, give it a whirl.

If you’re playing after Criswelvania 5.2, though, these are turned off by default through console commands, along with fire spread.

User tokeitime has posted some comprehensive mod recommendations for various preferences and effects based on a Minecraft 1.4.7 playthrough of Return to Criswelvania v2.5.

Please consider using the preferred AdFly links when available. It helps us continue to work on projects for you to enjoy. Let us know if there are any problems with the links. Thanks for your support! We really appreciate it!

Lite versions of the map are trimmed way down for those of you with limited bandwidth. They do not include all the extra features of the full map outside of Criswelvania and the Nether.

Why so many download links? Because you've asked for these options and we are happy to provide!

Installation
Extract the Criswelvania folder to your .minecraft/saves directory. Do NOT create a new folder when extracting, the World folder is contained in the archive file.

FAQ & Troubleshooting

Q: Does Criswelvania install or require any mods or texture packs?A: No, Criswelvania runs on vanilla Minecraft and is maintained to be 100% compatible with the the corresponding Minecraft version. Resource packs and mods are purely optional and officially unsupported, however some efforts have received our recognition as adding something complimentary to the mood or spirit of Criswelvania, for players seeking a different experience. Our best recommendation is to play the map on default first, then replay with mods or textures, unless you really want to jump blind into an unfamiliar scenario.

Q: I'm spawning somewhere weird/The map is broken/I don't know where I am or where to go!A: Anyone having troubles getting started, post or PM us (Spookyhappyfun or Criswell) as much information about your setup as you can: which MC version/mode, any mods in use, which links you've tried, and we'll try to troubleshoot.
Some quick suggestions are to try a different download link, and to make sure that the World folder is in the .minecraft/saves directory, and that the World folder was not double-nested upon extraction (i.e.: "Criswelvania" folder with level.dat inside another "Criswelvania" folder inside /saves). Do NOT create a new folder when extracting.

Q: Will the Lite version work on my mobile device or console?A: Minecraft Pocket and Console Editions do not support proper Minecraft maps yet, but the hope is that someday they will. That would be frickin' sweet.

Q: Does Criswelvania ever get old?A: Never. It keeps getting better the more times you play it!

Changes in 1.8.1:
Revamped map compliant with recent MC updates
Improved & Expanded
Fixed ladders broken since MC b1.6
Upgraded minecart rides to use new track types
Reworked & re-detailed original areas
New puzzles and challenges
New monsters and treasures
Rebalanced loot distribution
Supplies in chests are more scarce
Full Multiplayer support
More story elements
Fixed dates in graveyard

Changes in v1.2.1:
Added Inverted Nether Castle
New ending goal and scoring system
New treasure hunt quest rewards exploration and replay
Higher prices and more items for sale in shops
Rebalanced loot distribution
Somewhat clearer pathing and goals
More side-quests in villages
Many more monsters, traps and challenges!

Criswelvania Newsfeed

[14.10.29]

The Criswelvania project is approaching its fourth year and still running strong! Significant progress is being made on Criswelvania Chronicles Book II! Thanks for all your support, suggestions and encouragement!

[13.09.15]
Return to Criswelvania v5.2.1 BETA is now in a final closed testing phase! Full release soon to follow!

[13.01.31]
Criswelvania turns two years old today! Thanks for all the support, suggestions and encouragement. Look forward to new adventures soon, spanning the massive world of Minerva with everything Minecraft has to offer!

[12.09.01]
Return to Criswelvania v2.5 is live. New areas, treasures and adventures await! Find wolf companions, potions, and powerful enchanted weapons and armor to help you drive back the hordes of evil lurking within the haunted halls. Works fine in Minecraft v1.3.x! One Lite version available for now, Full version with extras coming shortly.

[11.11.14]
Criswelvania vRC2 Gold

[11.11.09]
Criswelvania v1.8.1 Lite Edition released, a much smaller version of the map minus extras, for users with limited bandwidth or who just want the adventure only. Perfect for playing on your Droid!

[11.11.07]
Criswelvania v1.8.1 Gold is released! The definitive update to the original classic remake/parody horror-action-rpg-adventure map for Minecraft that you should play over and over, alone or with friends! Do it! Get it now!! Can you collect all the treasures?
Chapter 3 is coming in December and it's all-new!! Ask Santa to download it for you for free!

[11.09.01]
I will be at MineCon in Las Vegas all 3 days (hopefully!). Hope to see you there! Say hi, I might have some pins n' stuff to give away.

Playthrough Videos

More than 600 Criswelvania videos have been created from players around the world, and that’s just the ones we know about!
(Spoilers ahead!)

Criswelvania Best Of - The funniest, most action-packed, best-produced and most thorough runs have been moved to their own Best Of playlist. It's still being updated, there are a ton of deserving videos we haven't been able to re-watch yet to evaluate.

Over 100 hours of Criswelvania gameplay videos so far! That's amazing!! Keep 'em coming -- we try to watch them all and we love them!

If you have a Criswelvania playthrough you'd like to promote, feel free to post a link in this thread! We'll be sure to give you a free like+subscribe, and add your video(s) to the official playlist on YouTube. If you would be so kind as to post a link in your description back to this thread for others to download, it would be appreciated.

This custom map is simply awesome. An endless variety of spectacular scenery, excellent balance between combat and exploring, and a nostalgia factor that sends a chill down my spine. A must have for those who enjoy Minecraft custom maps.

Simple EULA: You can download and use this work for free, to do anything you want with it for your own entertainment purposes, but you may not resell it in any form whatsoever, nor may it be rehosted anywhere via public links without express permission of the author. If you wish to share private links among friends (i.e.: via a dropbox account), that is acceptable. The software is provided as-is and the author makes no guarantees as to performance nor assumes responsibility for misuse or damage caused the game. Simple.

Criswelvania is a respectful homage and parody of Konami's Castlevania, Bram Stoker's Dracula and many other similar works, but is not connected to those works in any direct way. Criswelvania is set in the world of Minerva in its own canon and any similarities to other works of fiction, coincidental or intended, are purely hilarious.

Criswelvania is and always will be free to play, and no related merchandise will ever be for sale by its creator (Criswell). Down the road, we may set up a donation option for the purpose of setting up an SMP server or two with its own forum, once the requirements exceed our hobbying budget. To this end, we may consider a limited run of some basic commemorative donor gifts: shirts, hats and pins, stuff we can pretty much make ourselves. However, we will never pressure the community for funding, and when interest diminishes then this project will conclude.

The creator has other more original ideas he would like to develop in the future, and is open to working with demonstrably talented individuals who have similar goals.

In terms of mods, may I suggest the excellent Succubi, broodmaiden and giant-fly mods by Kodiach zero? Although they're rare spawns, they fit the castlevania monster-theme perfectly. The quissential creature's troll mod is also fitting with the theme of the game.

I've seen some videos of the map on youtube. That's where I saw this map and wanted to get it but that was when search was off. I finally found it! Anyway great map, can't wait tell more people discover the map and love it as much as me.

When i download it i do not get a folder but a document saying "Criswelvania v1.3.0.rar" IS it because i have a mac?

Shouldn't be, Macs can open .rar archives last i checked. You may need to install an app, or else try the .zip version. Look up "mac zip" or "mac rar" is all I can suggest for the moment, but I'll look into it further in the near future.

This is awesome dude - DOing a playthrough of it for my youtube channel atm and i'm loving it =D

Anyone who wants to watch me play it.. tadah

=3

Haha, very entertaining so far, keep going! I'm in California btw, and I absolutely love seeing people halfway across the globe enjoying my work.

Nice to see the Craftsylvania pack in action too, although like many packs, it does take some getting used to the item roster.

Quote from Experiment »

Please think before uploading a map.
Always include a filesmelt or mediafire download link since they are fast, instant, and easy.

If you read back you'll notice that I have provided alternate links for anyone who asked nicely, maybe they were onto something? 4 mirrors and two formats should be enough, try the GoogleDocs link if you don't want to wait.

I've played through most of the map... And, I must say, it's definitely among the top 3 adventure maps. The architecture, the length, the treasure system... I absolutely loved it. If only all other adventure maps were of the same quality.

Hey Criswell, my friend and I downloaded and played your map about a month ago as our first lp (version 1.2). The videos are done, but we're still editing and uploading our adventures. Now that we have about an hour on youtube, I figure you might want to see us dest- I mean explore your map.